When the University of Oregon joined the Big Ten Conference in 2024, much of the focus was on athletics. Oregon, along with Washington, UCLA and USC, quit the Pac-12 in part for the promise of additional resources, greater TV exposure, and marquee games against storied athletics programs such as Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State.
But for UO faculty and administrators, joining the Big Ten means opportunities to learn, share, and developing leadership skills with peers from other academic heavyweights in the conference. The Big Ten Academic Alliance Leadership Institute houses a portfolio of academic leadership programs for emerging leaders, department heads and newly appointed deans. The programs, designed for faculty and higher education administrators, draw from the deep well of expertise within Big Ten universities to deliver skills-based and strategically focused professional development for leaders.
The Office of the Provost has created a new webpage highlighting these programs and providing details on how to participate.
“These are long-standing programs that we are now tapping into,” said Sierra Dawson, associate vice provost for faculty and leadership development at the UO. “There are multiple ways for faculty to develop their leadership capacity both on campus and now with the Big Ten.”
The Big Ten Leadership Institute offers three programs:
- The year-long Academic Leadership Program, designed to enhance leadership skills and offer faculty members a deeper understanding of university-level academic leadership and its associated challenges.
- The Department Executive Officer Program, a fall term program designed for department heads entering year 2 of their position focused on honing leadership skills.
- The Deans Leadership Program, a six-month program for newly appointed deans that focuses on the critical issues faced in the early months and years of the role.
Both Provost Christopher P. Long and Yvette Alex-Assensoh, vice president for Equity and Inclusion, participated in the Academic Leadership Program earlier in their careers in the Big Ten, Dawson said.
Faculty members and executive officers interested in participating should let their deans know, since deans make the nominations. Deans are encouraged to nominate a faculty member already serving in a leadership position or an emerging leader. Deans interested in the deans’ program should let Provost Chris Long know of their interest. Participating universities pay an annual membership fee of $53,000. Those funds are used to cover costs associated with the in-person sessions, such as hotel and meals, while the fellows’ school or college covers travel costs.
Angie Whalen just returned from Indiana University, where she attended a three-day session of the Academic Leadership Program. She has been on the UO faculty since 2003 and has held a variety of leadership positions. She is now in her third year serving as the College of Education’s associate dean for career instructional and clinical faculty development.
“I hope to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing academic leaders today, and to further develop my leadership skills to support our shared mission at the UO,” she said.
In addition to the Big Ten programs, the UO has its own homegrown leadership programs for new unit heads, and for faculty members to develop their leadership skills through the UO Leadership Academy, Dawson said.
What is unique for the UO fellows in the Big Ten programs is the chance to meet with fellows from every other Big Ten university and learn about similarities and differences between high-impact research universities across the country, she said. Faculty members who are interested in participating in these programs should let their deans know because deans make the nomination, she added.
In addition to Whalen, this year’s Academic Leadership Program fellows from the UO include: Erik Girvan, professor of law and associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Law; Elliot Berkman, divisional associate dean for the natural sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences; Le Yang, associate vice provost and university librarian for collections, discovery, and digital strategy in the University Library; Maile Hutterer, department head and associate professor of the history of art and architecture in the College of Design.
The UO’s 2025-26 Department Executive Officer Program fellows include: Andy Karduna, professor and head of the Department of Human Physiology in the College of Arts and Sciences; Danielle Benoit, Lorry Lokey chair and professor in the Department of Bioengineering in the Knight Campus; Ernesto Martinez, associate professor and head of the Department of Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences; Uli Dangel, professor and director of the School of Architecture and Environment, in the College of Design; and Wendy Machalicek, professor and head of the Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences in the College of Education.
— By Tim Christie, Office of the Provost Communications